Illuminated sign



Jan. 17, 1933. w. B. PIPER ILLUMINATED SIGN 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Shea*l Filed Nov.

llllllllll By @amaa A forney Jan. 17, 1933. w. B. FiPER 1,894,704

ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed NOV. 27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Mzzl-@5320er Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE WILLIAM IB. PIPER, 0F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OE TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT T0 BEN CARLYLE WELCH, 0F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE ILLUMINATED SIGN Application med November 27',` 1929. serial No. 410,043.

This invention pertains to improvements in illuminated signs of the tubular type filled with neon or other gas made luminous by the passage therethrough of an electrical current.

An object of the invention is to eliminate the awkward appearance of the present type of neon signs and to materially reduce the manufacturing cost of same by providing an improved method of making and assembling the units or letters of the sign so as to entirely eliminate the use of tubing for connecting the sign units, with the exception of the jumper tubes, which in the present invention are effectively hidden from view.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view as will be apparent from the following detailed description, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, together with the process and method of making and forming said parts, as is more fully explained and hereinafter pointed out, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front view of a sign constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a front view on an enlarged scale of a pair of panel-like sign units,

Figure 3 is a top view of the unitl appearing in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4--4 of Figure 2, o

Figure 5 is a detail view of a letter panel with the letters shown in section and provided with a rounded or circular passage for the gas, and

Figure 6 is a similar view of another panel having a square or rectangular gas entrance.

Under the present system of forming neon signs by blowing and bending tubing and connecting the signs by such tubing, the manufacturing costs are excessive, especially where it is necessary, as in certain letters such as those which double back with their tubing, to get a complete connection of the gas and electricity through the tubing and sign.

As an improvement, therefore, in the manufacture of neon gas signs at a material reduction in cost over the present method,

this invention consists in moulding letters, instead of blowing and bending tubing which has heretofore caused the excessive expense, and the letters after such moulding are attached to a glass base by aprocess of fusing which is common to the art of glass manufacturing. v

Y 'As will be observed from the drawings, the

sign is made up of units respectively consistn mg of a glass panel l having a moulded glass letter or character 2 of channel like cross section lfused thereon in such a wayy that the channel part is disposed against the panel 1 so as to provide a gas passageB. A

The letters may be of any size desired and of either half round or half squaremould, as preferred. Before the letters are fused to the panels, the latter are perforated at the proper points and through the thickness of the glass to provide gas inlets and outlets 4, communicating with the gas passage of the letter.

As illustrated in the drawings, these perforations or passages may be either round or square according as the case may require or prove to be the most satisfactory. When the fusing of the required number of letters is complete to make a sign, the various units or panels are assembled in a metal frame or sign cabinet and the glass jumper tubes 5 are fused to the panels l over the openings 2 in such a manner as to provide a continuous gas filled tubular passage for the flow of the electric current.

Any doubling back necessary, is done before the openings 2 of the letters are covered and it will be noted that none of the jumper tube connections are made directly in contact with the letters but that they are made on the backs of the panels and over the openings 2 which run through to the point where the most practical connection can be made to the letters or at the most serviceable point.

It will be observed, also, that there is no doubling back with letters, this being obviated by the jumper tube 5 behind the sign where the mechanism is enclosed. Hence all the letter connections are thus made from behind the glass panels, no portions of the connections are visible from a front view of the sifgn as will be apparent from the showing o Figure 1.

Each letter is on a separate panel so that in case of breakage, the entire sign need not be taken down to repair one letter, but only such section or sections thereof as is to be repaired or replaced.

The units or sections may be assembled in various types of sign cabinets and the complfeted sign will be illuminated in the customary manner by using electrodes connected to the jumper tubes at the required point.

The Jumper tubes, electrodes and transformers may be wrapped with asbestos or similar material for protection from breakage Vby cold 'weather'.

Having .'t'nus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

In a sign, a lurality of glass panels, charaoters having odies curved transversely and having the edges thereof fused to said panels forming passages for the insertion of a gas, said panels having openings extending entirely therethrough and communicating with said passages and jumper tubes extending across the backs of said panels and fused at .the end-.s thereof to the backs of the panels in communication with the openings in the panels establishing communication between said passages.

In testimony Wliereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM B. PIPER. 

